


Open Wound

by ElvisRose



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, Moving On, Pre-Series, Tattoos, mention of Derek/Paige, mention of Kate/Derek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-13
Updated: 2015-03-13
Packaged: 2018-03-17 15:25:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3534476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElvisRose/pseuds/ElvisRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek gets a tattoo on his eighteenth birthday</p>
            </blockquote>





	Open Wound

**Author's Note:**

> TW: theres mention of some pretty noncon situations with kate and Derek is dealing with some pretty heavy memories sorry.

Derek was eighteen years old when he got the triskelion tattooed on his back.

Laura had gone off to the latest pack meeting with the New York pack. Derek hadn't felt inclined to join them. He never did. He didn't deserve to have a pack. Not after what happened to his last one...because of him. Laura didn't understand. Couldn't understand. Wouldn't understand. She didn't know that he was the one responsible for the deaths of eleven of their family members and the permanent hospitalization of a twelfth. He was the reason she was suddenly an alpha. He was the reason their little sisters were dead. He was the reason Peter was a living vegetable. He was the reason for so much death and destruction. And he could not-would not ever tell her that. He needed her too much. 

She knew he carried a large amount of guilt. She'd have to be a fool not to smell it on him. But she thought that it was survivors guilt. She thought it was the same guilt that he knew she carried. Guilt about not being there, about not being fast enough or strong enough to save their family. She didn't know how wrong she was. Derek would never forgive himself for leading to the death of all that he held dear. He would never let himself forget. 

So on his eighteen birthday he trudged down to a little hidden tattoo parlor of questionable legality. it was snowing outside, a Christmas miracle or some such shit. Derek just felt cold and empty, devoid of any Christmas cheer. He shoved his way into the small tattoo parlor, the only one actually open on Christmas, the little bell rang a cheerful high pitched note, mocking him. A short pixie like girl came out of the back room, tucking a strand of violet hair behind her ear. Her eyebrows were pierced as well as her nostril and her septum. She had several piercings in each ear, a chain linking her septum piercing to a piercing on her left ear. She quirked a dark mauve eyebrow at him and smirked, accentuating her black lips and shiny silver lip piercings. Besides the piercings she had tattoo sleeves on each arm and a wolf tattooed on her neck. Derek liked her instantly. Or he would if he could muster up enough emotions to feel much of anything. 

"What? You never seen this many piercings before?" She smirked, leaning on the counter and showing off her ample cleavage. Derek shrugged, approaching with his hands in his pockets. Instead of putting her off, his recalcitrance made her smirk. "First tattoo?" Derek grunted in agreement. "What do you want?" she asked, reaching for a portfolio of ideas. "And where?" Derek dismissed her portfolio with a look and pulled out Laura's triskelion necklace that he'd nicked before leaving. He slammed it onto the counter.

"This, on my shoulder blades." He said and then proceeded the gesture about the approximate size he wanted.

After everything that had happened with Paige, with Derek realizing that he couldn't trust Peter, he'd been vulnerable. He wasn't sure he could trust anyone. But Kate had shown up smelling like electricity and sunflowers, wearing sun dresses and giant floppy hats, nails painted blood red. She was a living contradiction. A firecracker in pink heels with a deadly smile. Derek had fallen and he'd fallen hard. The age difference never bothered either of them. She was sweet and cute and Derek thought himself mature for his age, after having dealt with murdering Paige. It didn't occur to him until years later, a month before his eighteenth birthday that the situation with Kate could technically be construed as rape. He shuddered at the thought. She may not have forced herself on him physically as he was fully consenting (as much as any 16 year old can be) but she had gotten into his head and played around with it.

She'd been so sweet and caring that he hadn't even realized what she was doing. She'd made him feel worse about his insecurities and she'd supported him when he mentioned he probably didn't trust his family, namely Peter. She made him talk about it, stirring up his distrust until it was anger. Until he could barely stand to look at the lot of them. Until he blamed them all for Paige's death. And she'd made him so wholly dependent on her that he felt like his life revolved around her. When he found out about his family's death the first thing he wanted to do was go to her and cry into her arms. When Laura claimed that the Argents were in town and had probably been the ones to kill their family, he felt confused; Laura was the alpha-heir and he was not. He was never taught what she was. When she explained just who the Argents were, a long and old and notorious family of hunters, he felt sick to his soul. Later when he saw Kate with the man Laura declared to be Gerard Argent Derek felt hollowed out and empty. The rage came after. It came too late to do anything about it but run.

"Did you know that in Samoan tattoo means 'open wound'?" Derek murmured to the purple haired tattoo artist randomly as she sketched out the triskelion onto transfer paper.

"I take it that this is a symbol of someone you lost?" she said, not unkindly, looking up at him with bright blue eyes. 

"It's my family crest."

"Oh." She swallowed thickly. "It's just me and my sister now." Derek didn't know why he was telling her this. This complete stranger. But it wasn't like he'd ever see her again.

"How does your sister feel about the tattoo?" The girl asked showing him the drawing to get his approval. Derek smiled a small smile for the first time in months.

"What she doesn't know won't kill her." Derek said and then cringed. What his family hadn't known had killed them. "I don't plan on showing her any time soon." He said instead. The girl smiled, showing off a gap in between her front teeth that Derek found it strangely endearing. 

"I'm Cece." She smiled, holding out a hand. Derek's smile quirked at the name as he shook her hand.

"Derek."

"Well, Derek, I'm assuming you want the tattoo now and I don't have any appointments for the next while so take a seat and get comfortable." Derek nodded, stripping out of his jacket, scarf, hat and gloves before setting them onto a chair in the front. He pulled off his shirt as she led him to a seat and prepared his skin. 

"I hope this tattoo gives you some closure, Derek." Cece murmured before starting the pen and cutting a reminder of his family into his skin. Derek was willing to take the pain. In fact he hoped it hurt. That way it would be a physical reminder of his family in more ways than one.


End file.
